{"id":1549,"date":"2021-07-21T10:00:33","date_gmt":"2021-07-21T14:00:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/?p=1549"},"modified":"2024-04-25T23:19:59","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T03:19:59","slug":"ehomes-smart-houses-solar-housing-communities-whats-going-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/ehomes-smart-houses-solar-housing-communities-whats-going-on\/","title":{"rendered":"EHomes, Smart Houses, Solar Housing Communities: What\u2019s Going On?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What will make land developments competitive in the years\nahead? Several new concepts are taking shape: a shift to electric vehicles, solar\nroofs, technology for home-based productivity, and personal amenities that\nsupport an integrated sense of well-being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Builders are now choosing internet-connected heating and\ncooling. Buyers are touring homes with sensors and voice control technologies\nto turn the lights and entertainment systems on and off. And, especially since\nthe pandemic, we\u2019re seeing in-home fitness equipment that keeps track of our\nexercise and health data, allows us to take virtual hikes any place in the\nworld, and even connects us virtually with live coaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the most intriguing innovations involve housing \u2014\nand entire developments \u2014 becoming energy producers. Let\u2019s take a closer look\nat some trendsetters at work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Homes Are Becoming Connected Systems.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Alset EHome International Inc<\/a>., based in Bethesda, Maryland, creates \u201csustainable healthy living systems\u201d for single- and multi-unit properties. Key features include purified air and water, remote working tech, access to trails, parks, and organic, farm-fresh foods, plus travel and entertainment apps. The company also offers a real estate investment trust (REIT) for shareholders.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alset (read it backwards) clearly has a focus on Tesla\u00ae, too.\nIt puts a Tesla Powerwall in each home. That\u2019s a home battery that\nstores and supplies the electricity generated from a solar roof. Plus, Alset homeowners\nreceive Tesla cars and their own electric vehicle (EV) charging systems if they\nbuy into Northpark in Porter, Texas. The homes and Tesla products will be sold\nseparately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are delivering what we believe will be the model housing\necosystem of the future,\u201d stated Alset CEO Charley MacKenzie in a June 2021\npress release. MacKenzie points to increasing customer demand for sustainable\nelements in homes, and Alset strives to make early adoption easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who Else Is Rolling Out Smart Home Communities? Tesla itself.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Tesla Energy, in collaboration with Brookfield Asset\nManagement and the real estate development company Dacra, is building a solar\nhome cluster within a planned community in southeast Austin. Completed homes\nwill sport solar roof tiles, Powerwalls and car charging gear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Tesla\u2019s solar neighborhood, homes will supply their own\npower, yet produce backup power to support the grid. Brookfield will manage\nlocal electricity integration, while Tesla Solar will oversee individual home\nenergy subscriptions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative, tentatively called SunHouse at Easton Park, is well timed. Greater Austin is short on housing in the midst of a record-setting year<\/a> in home sales and prices. And after the deep freeze and mass power outage of February 2021, local leaders are keen on the energy-efficient project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homes Are Starting to Function as Power Stations.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Tesla is inviting its California customers to join in the largest-ever distributed battery system. The idea is to support the state\u2019s grid, and avoid dependence on non-renewable electricity sources. Tesla\u2019s Virtual Power Plant (VPP) will begin sending participants\u2019 extra energy to the grid in peak times, reducing the occurrence of blackouts in California.\u00a0 As of July 22, 2021, eligible Powerwall owners can enroll in the Tesla Virtual Power Plant using the Tesla app<\/a> version 3.10.14.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are we seeing the rise of neighborhoods as power stations?\nEnergy networks whose residents can share in the profits for offering their\nsurplus power with the public? This could turn out to be a new factor in the\neconomy of home ownership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seattle Wants to Keep the Bluest Skies You\u2019ve Ever Seen.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This year, Seattle is putting a stop to the use of natural\ngas HVAC hookups in commercial construction, including large apartment\nbuildings. Buildings can have cooking gas connections, but they must be\nsupplemented with electrical connections so owners can make the switch. The\ncity says its new rules will keep building emissions 12% lower than they\u2019d\notherwise be in 2050 \u2014 Seattle\u2019s carbon-neutral target date. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new codes do not impact individual homes or rowhouses,\nwhich may continue to use natural gas. The natural gas sector has warned that a\ncomplete shift could overcome the electricity grid. This tension helps explain\nwhy many home buyers are considering solar power generation as the way forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s What Homeowners Need to Know About Going Solar.<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Solar installation and equipment prices average around $15,000 to $25,000<\/a> \u2014 but there are ample federal tax credits, corporate rebates, and state or local incentives available. Solar energy now equates to higher home values, lower electricity bills, and energy options for keeping the lights on during storms and times of peak energy use. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Homes with the highest energy costs tend to benefit the most\nfrom switching over. A south-facing roof with unobstructed exposure helps, too.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can buy or lease. Leasing is less expensive. Buying a\nsystem is the better option if your aim is to boost your property value and take\nadvantage of solar credits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are some of the best options? Andrew Sendy of SolarReviews.com<\/a><\/em>has created a list of leaders, with their pros and cons. In a nutshell:<\/p>\n\n\n\n